{"id":4736,"date":"2023-08-07T16:08:09","date_gmt":"2023-08-07T16:08:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dementiauk.org\/?page_id=4736"},"modified":"2026-03-18T13:45:03","modified_gmt":"2026-03-18T13:45:03","slug":"huntingtons-disease","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.dementiauk.org\/information-and-support\/types-of-dementia\/huntingtons-disease\/","title":{"rendered":"Huntington&#8217;s disease"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Huntington\u2019s disease is a genetic disorder caused by a faulty gene on chromosome 4. A protein called Huntingtin usually helps nerve cells develop, but when it is faulty, it can damage them instead. This mainly occurs in the areas of the brain responsible for movement, learning, cognition, and emotions (basal ganglia and cerebral cortex). Huntington\u2019s disease is primarily thought of as a condition of motor function \u2014 that is, it affects the person\u2019s movement. But there can be damage to the brain, which can develop into dementia.<\/p>\n<p>The first signs of Huntington\u2019s disease are more commonly seen in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dementiauk.org\/information-and-support\/young-onset-dementia\/\">30-50 year age group<\/a>, but current research indicates that about 10% of cases can appear after the age of 60 years and 5-10% of cases under the age of 18 years (known as juvenile Huntington\u2019s disease).<\/p>\n<h2>Symptoms of Huntington\u2019s disease<a id=\"symptoms\"><\/a><\/h2>\n<p>There are a range of symptoms that someone with Huntington\u2019s disease may exhibit, including:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>a reduction in reasoning, judgement, planning and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dementiauk.org\/information-and-support\/financial-and-legal-support\/mental-capacity-and-decision-making\/\">decision-making<\/a> abilities<\/li>\n<li>a change in emotional engagement<\/li>\n<li>poor impulse control<\/li>\n<li>attention problems<\/li>\n<li>difficulty learning new things<\/li>\n<li>slowed thinking<\/li>\n<li>reduced motivation<\/li>\n<li>reduced temper control<\/li>\n<li>reduced insight<\/li>\n<li>weight loss<\/li>\n<li>stiffness<\/li>\n<li>difficulty swallowing and speaking<\/li>\n<li>clumsiness and difficulty controlling their muscles<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The person may also show signs of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dementiauk.org\/information-and-support\/health-advice\/managing-anxiety-and-depression-in-a-person-living-with-dementia\/\">depression or anxiety<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Causes and risk factors of Huntington\u2019s disease<a id=\"causes\"><\/a><\/h2>\n<h3>Faulty gene on chromosome 4<\/h3>\n<p>A faulty gene on chromosome 4, the huntingtin gene (HTT), causes Huntington\u2019s disease. If a person has a parent with the gene, they have a 50% chance of developing the disease.<\/p>\n<h3>Family history<\/h3>\n<p>The person with Huntington\u2019s and their family may well have experienced the disease in other members and have fears about how this will progress and what help and support they may be able to receive. There may also be worries about any children within the family and whether or not they may eventually have Huntington\u2019s too.<\/p>\n<p>For more information, visit the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hda.org.uk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Huntington\u2019s Disease Association website<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>How does Huntington\u2019s disease develop?<a id=\"develop\"><\/a><\/h2>\n<p>As the disease progresses, people who have Huntington\u2019s are increasingly likely to have involuntary movements, causing the characteristic signs (chorea) of Huntington\u2019s disease. This can cause embarrassment, distress, discomfort and social isolation. As the disease progresses, it can also cause problems with swallowing, speech, balance and increase the risk of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dementiauk.org\/information-and-support\/health-advice\/dementia-and-falls\/\">falls<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Research has indicated that in Huntington\u2019s disease, the person\u2019s cognitive processes are also affected and get progressively worse over the years, with some people going on to develop dementia in the later stages of Huntington\u2019s.<\/p>\n<h2>Diagnosing Huntington\u2019s disease<a id=\"diagnose\"><\/a><\/h2>\n<p>Someone who is experiencing symptoms of Huntington\u2019s disease will be referred to a doctor who specialises in conditions that affect the brain (a neurologist) so that they can have further tests and treatment.<\/p>\n<p>If there is a familial link, you can choose to have a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hda.org.uk\/information-and-support\/getting-help\/genetic-testing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">genetic test<\/a> to see if you have the altered gene; however, you\u2019ll need to be over 18 to have the test, and it is your choice.<\/p>\n<h2>How common is Huntington\u2019s disease?<a id=\"common\"><\/a><\/h2>\n<p>An estimated 7,000 people are living with Huntington\u2019s disease in the UK.<\/p>\n<h2>Treatment for Huntington\u2019s disease<a id=\"treatment\"><\/a><\/h2>\n<p>While there is no cure for Huntington\u2019s disease, there are treatments to help manage the symptoms.<\/p>\n<h3>Managing symptoms<\/h3>\n<p>With Huntington\u2019s disease, the interventions are focused on support and management of the changes; working with the person and their family to ensure they can live as well as possible with the condition. The physical effects of Huntington\u2019s disease can be managed by:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>adapting the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dementiauk.org\/information-and-support\/living-with-dementia\/making-the-home-safe-and-comfortable-for-a-person-with-dementia\/\">home environment<\/a> so any trip hazards are removed and risks minimised<\/li>\n<li>a referral to speech and language therapy if there are speech or swallowing problems<\/li>\n<li>a referral to a physiotherapist if there are movement issues<\/li>\n<li>a referral to an occupational therapist for aids and adaptations that may help around the house<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If the person with Huntington\u2019s has significant cognitive issues, communication can be helped by:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>speaking slowly and clearly<\/li>\n<li>using short sentences and non-verbal communication alongside speech, eg, hand actions<!--EndFragment --><\/li>\n<li>reducing distractions and noise<\/li>\n<li>giving extra time for communication \u2013 it may take longer to respond<\/li>\n<li>asking questions to narrow down the answer, give choices or use yes\/no cards or picture cards \u2013 the person may have word finding difficulties as well as needing longer to respond<\/li>\n<li>using a mobile phone, tablet or electronic communication aid<\/li>\n<li>providing a routine and activities that the person enjoys and feels comfortable and relaxed with<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Remember that comprehension can often be well preserved even if the person cannot speak.<\/p>\n<h2>The link between Huntington\u2019s disease and dementia<a id=\"link\"><\/a><\/h2>\n<p><!--StartFragment --><\/p>\n<p class=\"pf0\"><span class=\"cf0\">Dementia can develop at any stage of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dementiasplatform.uk\/news-and-media\/blog\/huntington2019s-disease-a-rare-cause-of-dementia\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Huntington\u2019s disease<\/a>. It affects people differently and is not the same as dementia caused by conditions like Alzheimer\u2019s disease.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"pf0\"><span class=\"cf0\">In Alzheimer\u2019s disease, people often forget people, places or events. In Huntington\u2019s disease, memory problems are more likely to involve forgetting how to do things<\/span><span class=\"cf1\">\u2014such as following steps in a task or making decisions\u2014rather than losing personal memories.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"pf0\"><span class=\"cf1\">People with Huntington\u2019s disease-related dementia have a specific pattern of brain changes. These include thinning of the outer layer of the brain (the cortex) and a widespread loss of nerve cells across the brain. These changes can affect thinking, memory, and daily life in different ways.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>How Huntington\u2019s disease causes dementia<\/h3>\n<p>The progressive nature of Huntington\u2019s disease can mean that dementia develops as the brain continues to be impacted, meaning the person will need more help in taking care of themselves, including <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dementiauk.org\/information-and-support\/health-advice\/dementia-and-personal-hygiene\/\">bathing<\/a> and swallowing.<\/p>\n<h3>Symptoms of dementia from Huntington\u2019s disease<\/h3>\n<p>During the early stages of Huntington\u2019s disease, some people will develop symptoms of dementia such as problems with perception and difficulty with thinking that they previously wouldn\u2019t have. They may also find concentration and planning more difficult than they did before.<\/p>\n<h3>When to see a GP to get a dementia diagnosis<\/h3>\n<p>If you have any concerns about symptoms that you or someone in your life is experiencing, you should visit your GP to discuss them.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Huntington\u2019s disease is a genetic disorder caused by a faulty gene on chromosome 4. A protein called Huntingtin usually helps nerve cells develop, but when it is faulty, it can damage them instead. This mainly occurs in the areas of the brain responsible for movement, learning, cognition, and emotions (basal ganglia and cerebral cortex). Huntington\u2019s [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"parent":3227,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"on","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-4736","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.0 (Yoast SEO v27.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Huntington&#039;s disease - Dementia UK<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Understand more about Huntington&#039;s Disease, including its link with dementia, symptoms and diagnosis.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dementiauk.org\/information-and-support\/types-of-dementia\/huntingtons-disease\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Huntington&#039;s disease\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Dementia UK is a charity that provides Admiral Nurses for families affected by dementia. Call our Dementia Helpline to find out how we can support you.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.dementiauk.org\/information-and-support\/types-of-dementia\/huntingtons-disease\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Dementia UK\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/DementiaUK\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-03-18T13:45:03+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.dementiauk.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/dementiauk_900x600logo.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"846\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"836\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@dementiauk\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.dementiauk.org\\\/information-and-support\\\/types-of-dementia\\\/huntingtons-disease\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.dementiauk.org\\\/information-and-support\\\/types-of-dementia\\\/huntingtons-disease\\\/\",\"name\":\"Huntington's disease - Dementia UK\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.dementiauk.org\\\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2023-08-07T16:08:09+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-03-18T13:45:03+00:00\",\"description\":\"Understand more about Huntington's Disease, including its link with dementia, symptoms and diagnosis.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.dementiauk.org\\\/information-and-support\\\/types-of-dementia\\\/huntingtons-disease\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.dementiauk.org\\\/information-and-support\\\/types-of-dementia\\\/huntingtons-disease\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.dementiauk.org\\\/information-and-support\\\/types-of-dementia\\\/huntingtons-disease\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.dementiauk.org\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Information and support\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.dementiauk.org\\\/information-and-support\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Types of dementia\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.dementiauk.org\\\/information-and-support\\\/types-of-dementia\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":4,\"name\":\"Huntington&#8217;s disease\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.dementiauk.org\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.dementiauk.org\\\/\",\"name\":\"Dementia UK\",\"description\":\"Specialist support to families facing dementia\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.dementiauk.org\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.dementiauk.org\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.dementiauk.org\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Dementia UK\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.dementiauk.org\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.dementiauk.org\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.dementiauk.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/dementiauk_900x600logo.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.dementiauk.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/dementiauk_900x600logo.png\",\"width\":846,\"height\":836,\"caption\":\"Dementia UK\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.dementiauk.org\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/DementiaUK\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/dementiauk\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/company\\\/dementia-uk\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tiktok.com\\\/@dementiauk\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/user\\\/DementiaUK1\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/dementia_uk\\\/\"],\"description\":\"Dementia UK is a charity that provides Admiral Nurses for families affected by dementia. Call our Dementia Helpline to find out how we can support you.\",\"email\":\"info@dementiauk.org\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Huntington's disease - Dementia UK","description":"Understand more about Huntington's Disease, including its link with dementia, symptoms and diagnosis.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.dementiauk.org\/information-and-support\/types-of-dementia\/huntingtons-disease\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Huntington's disease","og_description":"Dementia UK is a charity that provides Admiral Nurses for families affected by dementia. Call our Dementia Helpline to find out how we can support you.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.dementiauk.org\/information-and-support\/types-of-dementia\/huntingtons-disease\/","og_site_name":"Dementia UK","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/DementiaUK\/","article_modified_time":"2026-03-18T13:45:03+00:00","og_image":[{"width":846,"height":836,"url":"https:\/\/www.dementiauk.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/dementiauk_900x600logo.png","type":"image\/png"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_site":"@dementiauk","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.dementiauk.org\/information-and-support\/types-of-dementia\/huntingtons-disease\/","url":"https:\/\/www.dementiauk.org\/information-and-support\/types-of-dementia\/huntingtons-disease\/","name":"Huntington's disease - Dementia UK","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.dementiauk.org\/#website"},"datePublished":"2023-08-07T16:08:09+00:00","dateModified":"2026-03-18T13:45:03+00:00","description":"Understand more about Huntington's Disease, including its link with dementia, symptoms and diagnosis.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.dementiauk.org\/information-and-support\/types-of-dementia\/huntingtons-disease\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.dementiauk.org\/information-and-support\/types-of-dementia\/huntingtons-disease\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.dementiauk.org\/information-and-support\/types-of-dementia\/huntingtons-disease\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.dementiauk.org\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Information and support","item":"https:\/\/www.dementiauk.org\/information-and-support\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Types of dementia","item":"https:\/\/www.dementiauk.org\/information-and-support\/types-of-dementia\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"Huntington&#8217;s disease"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.dementiauk.org\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.dementiauk.org\/","name":"Dementia UK","description":"Specialist support to families facing dementia","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.dementiauk.org\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.dementiauk.org\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.dementiauk.org\/#organization","name":"Dementia UK","url":"https:\/\/www.dementiauk.org\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.dementiauk.org\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.dementiauk.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/dementiauk_900x600logo.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.dementiauk.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/dementiauk_900x600logo.png","width":846,"height":836,"caption":"Dementia UK"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.dementiauk.org\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/DementiaUK\/","https:\/\/x.com\/dementiauk","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/dementia-uk\/","https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@dementiauk","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/DementiaUK1","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/dementia_uk\/"],"description":"Dementia UK is a charity that provides Admiral Nurses for families affected by dementia. Call our Dementia Helpline to find out how we can support you.","email":"info@dementiauk.org"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dementiauk.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4736","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dementiauk.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dementiauk.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dementiauk.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dementiauk.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4736"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.dementiauk.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4736\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":33773,"href":"https:\/\/www.dementiauk.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4736\/revisions\/33773"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dementiauk.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3227"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dementiauk.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4736"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}